Apparatus for basing incandescent lamps



A. SWAN.

APPARATUS FOR BASING INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED mnazq. 1917.

'1 ,306,64:3. I Pnt'vnml June 10, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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r A. SWAN. APPARATUS FOR BASING INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

APPLICATION I'ILED JUN E 20, 1911.

1 306,643. I Patented June 10,1919.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

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| IIVIYIIIIII l mmmu II I I nu lllilllll mllmlla Inventor DTlfred Swan,

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ing Incandescent Lamps,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SWAN, OF MONTCLAIR. NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR BASING INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED SWAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Montelair, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Basof which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to providing incandescent lamps and similar evacuated glass vessels with metal bases cemented to the glass 'bulb and soldered to leading-in wires which conduct current to the interior of the vessel.

One object of my invention is to improve and cheapen 'the basing of incandescent lamps and similar articles. A further object is to simplify and improve the method of applying the cement to the base. To these ends I provide improved means for automatically lining the inner edge of the bases with cement. I prefer to use a cement which will stand for many weeks exposed to the air without losing the properties which make it suitable for use in basing lamps, and hence the lined bases need not be used immediately, so that bases may be prepared and then stored. for a considerable period of time if desired.

The novel features of my invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims but for purposes of illustration I have shown in the accompanying drawings one of the various forms in which my invention may be embodied and in which Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of a lamp base of the usual type lined'with cement; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through certain parts of the base lining machine; Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section of the machine; Fig. 1 is a section along the line 44 of Fig. 3 looking down on the top of the machine.

For purposes of illustration. I have shown in Fig. 1 a lamp base of the usual type com prising a tubular threaded shell 10 closed at one end by a glass web 11 which carries a center contact 4 with a slightly countersunk perforation. In accordance with my invention. I apply to the inner edge of this base a layer of cement 12.

To simplify and cheapen the operation of lining the bases With cement. I provide the automatic machine shown in Figs. 2, 3 and Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d J n 10, 191 Application filed June 20, 1917. Serial No. 175,868. 1

4. This particular machine comprises, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a table 13 provided with a motor driven driving shaft 14. for actuating the various parts of the mechanism. By means of intermittent gearing 15 comprising a disk with radial slots 15 which receive a pin 15 on a rotating arm 15 during a part of each revolution a step by step movement. is imparted to a rotatable carrier 16 mounted on the top of the table and carrying on its rim a number of rotatable base holders 17 each of which has a gear 18, by which the holder can be rotated, and a socket or recess 19 for holding the base and of such a size that the base fits quite snugly in the socket and rotates with the base holder. To eject the bases each holder is provided with a movable rod or ejector 20 which can be actuated to bring its upper end to the top of the recess 19 and thereby eject a base from the holder.

To introduce the cement into the bases in the holders 17 I provide at some point in the travel of the holders 17 a cement applying or feeding device which automatically cooperates with the holder to line the inner edge of each base with cement. As shown in Fig. 2. this device comprises a cement feeding member 21 having an outlet 22 for discharging cement perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the base holder 17. The feeding member 21 is preferably cylindrical and smaller than the bore of t-hebase. When it is in the base. as shown in Fig. 2. the space or clearance between it and the shell 10 ofthe base determines the thickness of the layer of cement in thebase. as the cement is discharged into this space. The feeding member 21 is mounted to move into and out of the base. and in the machine shown. reciprocates along the axis of rotation of the holder 17. This reciprocating movement may be imparted to the feeding member in various ways, but in the particular arrangement shown the feeding member or tube 21 is secured to a yoke 23 carried on a push rod 241 which is raised and lowered by a fall cam 38 on the driving shaft 14. As each base holder 17 comes into alincn'lcnt with the feeding member 21. thc feeding member descends into the base in the holder. as shown in Fig. 2 remains there while the base rotates once. and the cement forms a ring or layer 12 shown in Fig. l, and then withdraws, after which the lined base is moved along one step and a fresh base is presented to the cement applying device.

In order that the cement shall flow only while the feeding member is inside the base, the parts are so arranged that the pressure on the cement can not force it through the outlet when the feeding member is outside the base. The pressure may be relieved at such times, or preferably the pressure is kept on and the outlet 22 controlled by some means, such as a sliding valve 25 which closes the outlet whenever the feeding memher is outside the base. In the particular arrangement shown the valve is in the form of a ring, slidably mounted on the feed member 21 and biased by springs 26 to the closed position. The valve is so constructed that it is pushed back to uncover the outlet 22 as the feed member 21 enters the base, but is returned to closed position shown in Fig. 3 by the springs 26 as the feed member withdraws from the base, so the cement flows only while the feeding member 21 is within the base.

To supply the feeding member 21 with cement under proper pressure, I prefer to use a reservoir 27 mounted upon the recip;

rocating yoke 23 and containing a rotatable screw 28 shaped toforce the cement into the feeding member 21, and having considerable clearance between its rim andihewall of the reservoir. This screw is rotated continuously through a gear 29 to which it is splined so that it can reciprocate with the reservoir without becoming disconnected from the gear which is connected to the drive shaft through gearing 30 and a countershaft 31. When the .valve 25 is closed the screw 28 churns and mixes the cement and keeps it smooth and plastic.

To set each base in the holder firmly and properly, I provide a presser foot 32 for pressing each base into the holder before the holder comes under the feeding member 21. For convenience the presser foot may be mounted on the reciprocating yoke 23, so that when a base is being lined another is being pressed firmly into place in a holder.

After the bases have been lined they are ejected from the holders bv the ejectors 20.

In the machine shown, the ejectors are lifted by a stationary cam 33 which raises the ejectors and pushes the bases out of the holders, as shown in Fig. 3.

The various parts of the mechanism are driven in definite relation to each other by the driving shaft. In the particular arrangement shown, the intermittent gearing '15 moves each base holder one step for each revolution of the member 15 and causes the base holders to travel step by step around their orbit through the various positions indicated in Fig. 4. The holder is loaded with a base at position A; at position B the the combination of a holder for a tubular neoaces presser foot descends and presses the base into the holder; at position 0 the holder with the base properly set in it comes under the feedvmember 21, whereupon the gear 1.8 on that holder meshes with the gear 84: actuated by the drive shaft, and the holder begins to rotate. The cam 38 is so set with relation to the gears that it causes the feed member 21 to descend into the base in the rotating holder, remain there with the outlet 22 uncovered during one complete rotation of the base holder, or long enough to apply a complete ring 12 of cement to the inner edge of the base, and then rise out of the base, whereupon the How of cement is automatically cut off by the valve 25 covering the outlet, as shown in Fig.3. As each base holder in turn passes over the stationary cam 33 at position D, the cam lifts the ejector and throws out the lined bases.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. In a device of the character described,

base, a feeding device constructed to discharge cement radially of the base held in said holder, and driving mechanism for moving said holder and said device relatively to each other to introduce said device into the base in said holder and to cause said base and said device to make one complete rotation relatively to each other while said device is applying cement to the inner wall of the base.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotatable holder for a tubular base, a cylindrical feed member smaller than the bore of the base and mounted to move longitudinally of the axis of rotation of said holder and having an outlet perpendicular to said axis, and common actuating mechanism for rotating said holder and moving said member into the base in said holder, holding said member in position during one revolution of said holder, and then withdrawing it.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable holder for a lamp base, a cement feedin member adapted to enter the base in said holder and provided with a radial outlet for-applying cement to the inner wall of the base in said holder, common driving. means for moving said base and holder relatively to each other to introduce said cement feeding member into the base and to give the base one complete rotation while said member is inside it, and means actuated by said mechanism for controlling the discharge of cement through said outlet.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotatable base holder, a cement feeding member adapted to enter the base in said holder and having an outlet in the side, common driving mechanism for 130 rolating said holder and for moving said feeding member into and out of the base in said holder, and a valve biased to close said outlet and automatically held open only while said member is inside the base.

5. In a device of the character described, a rotatable base holder, a reciprocating cement feeding member adaptedto enter the base in said holder and having an outlet in the side, a valve slidably mounted on said member to be pushed back as said member enters the base, and yieldingly held in position to cover said discharge opening, and driving mechanism connected to said holder and to said member for bringing said feeding member into the base in said holder and thereby sliding said valve along said member to uncover said outlet and simultaneously rotating the base holder while said feeding member is inside the base.

(3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotatable base holder, a reservoir mounted to reciprocate along the axis of rotation of said holder and having a feed member adapted to enter a base in said holder, a driving shaft, connections from said shaft for rotating said holder, and means actuated by said shaft for reciprocating said reservoir to introduce said feed member into the base in said holder and hold it inside said base during one complete rotation. thereof.

7 In a machine of the character described, comprising a rotatable base holder, a reciprocating reservoir having a discharge member adapted to be inserted in the base, a rotatable pressure member in said reservoir for maintaining the material therein under pressure, a drive shaft, connections from 'said drive shaft for rotating said base holder and said pressure member, and a cam on said drive shaft for raisin and lowering said reservoir to cause sai discharge member to enter and to Withdraw from the base in said holder.

8. In a device of the character described,

. in succession at a rotatable base holder having a cylindrical recess therein to receive a base, an ejector mounted in the bottom of said recess and movable longitudinally of said recess to eject a base, cement applying means for placing a ring of cement in the inner edge of the base in said holder, and means for automatically moving said ejector to discharge the filled base from, said holder.

9. In a machine of the character described comprising a traveling carrier, a plurality of rotatable base holders on said carrier, cement applying means mounted at a predetermined point in the travel of said carrier for applying a ring of cement to the inner edge of the base, a driving mechanism for bringing each carrier in succession into operative relation to said cement applyin' means and simultaneously rotating the base' holder and actuating said oement applying means.

10. In a machine of the character described comprising a plurality of base holders mounted to' rotate and to revolve about a common center, cement applying means mounted at a predetermined point in the orbit of said bulb holders for applying -a ring of cement to the base in each holder in successlon, drlvlng mechanism for bringing each bulb holder in succession into alinement with said cement applying means, contating each base holder and simultaneously introducing said cement applying means into the base, means actuated by said mechanism for automatically pressing each base into the holder prior to its arrival at the cement applying means, and means controlled by said mechanism for automatically ejecting the filled bases from each holder a subsequent point in their travel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of June, 1917.

ALFRED SWAN.

, nections to said driving mechanism for ro- 

